Adjustable foot correcting device



May 29, 1951 l. OLESKEY ADJUSTABLE FOOT CORRECTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 17,1946 INVENTOR.

Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a posture and foot corrective device adaptedto be used by either attachment to the human feet or by merely standingthereon for relatively short intervals for the purposes hereinafterdescribed. More particularly, it is adapted for correcting deformitiesof the congenital and related types.

Congenital deformities normally maintain a part of the muscles underabnormal contraction and another part thereof under abnormal stretch. Inmany instances, such deformities are further increased and aggravated bygravity alone, gravity coupled with other forces such as overload,fatigue, faulty diet and other" external forces which compel furthercontraction of the already deformity-set contracted muscles. In sometypes of congenital deformities, it is the deformities of the boneswhich determine what particular muscles should be contracted orstretched in order to bring about partial or full correction. Congenitaldeformity usually causes certain bones to twist exercising torsion andnormally creates a state of abnormal strain upon not only the musclesbut also parts of the body and causing incorrect posture.

Presently known treatments, having as their purpose the correction ofthese conditions, both medical and manipulative, have been haphazard,and in the fractional part of cases where favorable results have beenobtained, they have been accidental.

Correct diagnosis is necessary for successful cure and correction, andthe symptoms which are present and which are in manifestation ofvarying'degrees of torque caused thereby should be r carefully analyzedand it should be ascertained what bones have deviated from the idealpositions. After this has been ascertained, it can then be determinedwhat bones have deviated from the ideal position, and correctdetermination can be made as to the direction of drive that must beimparted to reduce the torsion and deformity of the patients body. Forsuccessful accomplishment of elimination or correction of distortion anddeformity and for avoidance of increase thereof, it is indispensiblethat correct diagnosis and correct treatment be practiced. This requiressteps and treatment which reduce the torque and which will move parts ofthe body in directions opposite to the paths that the body took inattainment of the particular distortion.

In treatment of many types of deformities, it is advisable to employ theprinciple of leverage to fatigued contracted muscles in order to compelthem to gradually return to normal state to thereby draw the bones andorgans to their ideal positions. I have found that the employment ofeither sole lifts and of lifts for the toe ends of the feet based uponanatomical facts that the feet are the foundation of the body and theproper treatment will eliminate the deformity which has set thedirection of the twist and which treatments will reverse the directionof torque wholly or partly causing deformity.

It is the object of my invention to provide means and devices of theherein described class V which may be satisfactorily used for thecorrection of incorrect posture and of congenital deformities, and whichinclude two or more adjustably connected members adjustable withrelation to each other and adapted to be either stood upon at intervalsor optionally attached to the feet and walked upon for a relative shortperiod of time. A further object of my invention is the provision ofadjustable deformity correcting devices comprising portable units whichinclude two or more block-like members which are separable one from theother and which may be mounted and connected together in variousrelative positions wherein the upper surface of one of said members willbe positioned and inclined to desired degree in relation with the other,and which units are adapted to support the feet in the desiredpositions, which positions are necessary for the contraction of somemuscles and the stretch of other muscles and for more correctpositioning of bones and other parts of the body.

nected, and brace members, wedges or shims ad justably and releasablysecured in desired positions so as to mount the upper-most member in anydesired inclined position with relation to the lower or base member, andwhich when stood upon or walked with will exercise various muscles insuch manner as to gradually correct conditions which cause thedeformity.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a posture and footcorrective device wherein the upper foot engaging parts or membersthereof are separably connected to the lower and base members andwherein manually adjustable means are connected therewith for adjustingthe relative positions of said members.

Other and further objects of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing descriptions and claims.

This invention is described in the following specification withreference to numerals of reference on the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of my novel foot correcting device.

Fig. 2 is an end view looking at the rear there- Fig. 3 is a top planview of said device. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the adjustable membersadapted to provide for adjusting the incline of the foot engaging memberboth in longitudinal and transverse directions.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing an embodiment of my invention withthe adjusting elements in normal position.

Fig. 6 is a view of one form of my invention taken on the same plane asFig. 2, a portion of the base being broken away and illustrating the useof an additional wedge.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral I8 designates a base,support or base block which has a substantially fiat inclined upper faceI (la said base or support Iii being of substantially trapezoidallongitudinal cross section. The base It may be made of wood, plastic,metal, or other suitable material and its flat bottom face is adapted tobe placed upon and engage the floor or other flat supporting surface.

Removably and adjustably mounted on the upper inclined face Illa is anelongated wedge, block, shim or brace member I I whose upper and lowerfaces are flat, though non-parallel, and said brace member II isrelatively thinner at one end thereof than at the other and ispreferably relatively thinner at one lateral edge than at the otherlateral edge thereof. Said brace member I I is shown in the upperportion of Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 and it is preferably provided with anelongated longitudinal slot I l, the central portion Ma. of which slotis relatively enlarged and wider as indicated in Fig. 4.

Numeral I5 designates a foot engaging member or block which may be madeof wood, plastic, metal or other suitable material and which is thickerat one edge thereof than at the other so that its upper face is in atransversely inclined plane in relation to its bottom face. Said footengaging member I5 is provided with two spaced apart holes I8 thereinwhich are preferably counter-sunk and which receive releasable securingscrews or bolts I1. base, the brace member and the foot engaging membertogether in the desired relative positions screws I! are passed throughholes I5 respectively and through the enlarged slot portion 14a of bracemember I2 and into suitably spaced holes formed in the base Ill.

The relatively large width of the central portion of the slot of Idapermits the brace member II to be moved sidewise and transversely on thebase ID to the desired degree so as to mount the upper face of the footengaging member l5 into the desired transverse inclination. As the slotI4 opens on one end of said brace member II, of which brace member maybe entirely removed if desired and foot engaging member I5 mayoptionally be secured directly from the upper inclined. face of base I9.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, a counter or stop I8 formed of leatheror other suitable material is secured by nails is or equivalentfastening elements upon one arcuate end portion of the foot engagingmember I5. Said counter I8 performs a function of preventing foot fromslipping off the inclined face of the device, as such counter will actas a stop to prevent such In assembling the slipping off movement eitherby engaging the toes when the foot is positioned in a forwardlydownwardly inclined position or by engaging a persons heel when the useris standing upon one or two of said devices with the front portions ofthe foot in an upwardly inclined direction. Said device is reversible aswell as adjustable as to incline so that it is usable for differenttypes and degrees of deformities, some of which require standing uponone or two of such devices in a direction opposite to that required forother types of deformities.

Some faulty foot conditions and incorrect posture especially those whichare caused by incorrect and improper muscle actions, require for theirpartial. or full correction that the user exercise those muscles whichnormally hold the foot in faulty position, and some of these conditionsrequire standing upon the corrective device with the tces toward thelower part and while theusers weight or a part thereof is supported uponthe foot. These faulty foot and posture conditions are those whichrequire a stretching of the muscles surrounding the forward portion ofthe ankle and the contraction of the muscles adjacent the heel. In thesetypes of instances, the user will place his foot upon the correctivedevice with the toes adjacent and at least partially against the footretaining member or counter I8 at the lower end of the device and at thesame time support his weight thereon, preferably for frequent intervalsand as prescribed by a specialist.

The correct treatments of certain types of deformity conditions requirethat the muscles on one side of the leg and foot be exercised differentlor to a lesser degree than the muscles on the other side thereof.Accordingly, I have provided a device in which the transverse incline ofthe upper foot engaging face of my device may be adjusted by moving thebrace member II transversely and resecuring it so that the upper face ofthe foot engaging member I5 will also be disposed in the desiredinclined plane according to the need of the particular case beingtreated. This means is illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, numeral 20 designates an elongated wedge,block or brace member which has a longitudinally extending slot 2i whichopens upon one end of said brace member and which slot is relativelyenlarged and of wider dimension in its central portion as shown in Fig.4. Shown at the lower part of Fig. 4, one lateral edge of said bracewedge is substantially thinner and merges in a narrow substantiallysharp edge or apex so that it is of triangular transverse cross sectionand so that its upper face is in an inclined plane in relation to itsnormally lower face. Said brace member 29 is adapted to be optionallypositioned below the foot engaging member I5, and either above or belowbrace II, to attain the desired height and inclination either transverseor longitudinal or in both directions. Said braces may be reversed as totheir upper and lower faces so that when assembled and secured in thedescribed manner the upper face of the foot member I5 will be disposedin a transversely level plane though being inclined from end to end.While the screws I! are either removed or loose, the brace member 2-) ismanually moved to one side or the other transversely of the base IE tothe degree desired inasmuch as the width of the central portion of slotI la permits such transverse movement even while the screws I1 are inloosened position though within holes I6.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the embodiment of theinvention herein specifically described without departing from orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any featuresthereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon theinvention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or anypart thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a foot correcting device of the described class; a base ofsubstantially trapezoidal longitudinal cross section, said base havingan upper inclined face; a pair of longitudinally slotted wedge-shapedbrace members movably and slidably mounted on said base, said bracemembers being inclined longitudinally and transversely on one facethereof with respect to the opposite face thereof; an aperturedelongated foot plate on the upper of said brace members, and releasablescrews extending through said foot plate, said slots of said bracemembers and removably engaging said base whereby said brace members aremovable longitudinally and transversely to provide for adjustabletransverse and longitudinal inclining of said foot plate.

2. In a posture correcting device, a plurality of superposed elongatedblocks removably secured together in superposed position with theirrespective adjacent faces in abutment with one of said blocks having anelongated central slot therein and being sloped longitudinally andtransversely on one face thereof; and screws removably securing saidblocks in adjacent superposed position, said last mentioned block beingtransversely and longitudinally adjustable within the limits of saidcentral slot to thereby provide for longitudinal and transverseadjustable positioning of a foot engaging member mounted on the upperface of the upper block.

3. In an adjustable foot exercising device a base having an inclinedupper face; a wedgeshaped block movably and adjustably mounted on theinclined face of said base, said wedgeshaped block having a relativelywide elongated slot therein, said block being inclined transversely andlongitudinally on one face thereof; an inclined foot engaging memberremovably mounted on said wedge-shaped block and screws extending thrusaid foot engaging member and through said slot and into said base, saidwedgeshaped base being adjustable and movable transversely andlongitudinally and being optionally reversible to permit adjustment ofsaid foot engaging member to desired transverse or longitudinalinclination.

4. In a foot correcting device of the described class; a base ofsubstantially trapezoidal cross section, said base having an upperinclined face and having passages therethrough; a plurality ofsuperposed blocks removably secured together with their respective flatfaces adjacent to each other, said blocks having one face of eachthereof inclined longitudinally and transversely; releasable screwsremovably securing said blocks in adjacent superposed position; aninclined foot engaging member removably mounted on the top of the uppersaid blocks with said screws extending through the bottom of said footengaging member through said blocks and into said base; said blockshaving relatively wide elongated slots through which said screws extend,thereby permitting an adjustable inclination both transversely andlongitudinally.

ISADORE OLESKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,575,042 Denniston Mar. 2, 19262,206,902 Kost July 9, 1940

